Heartbeat
by ChoCedric
Summary: Remember when you asked me whether I was afraid of dying?" Ron whispered, gently stroking Hermione's hair. "Well, I've realized I fear something much, much more: living without you." A missing moment after the rescue from Malfoy Manor. R/Hr.


Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

Author's Note: I absolutely, completely adore this missing moment so much that this is my third take on it! The two other versions, Always and Forever, and Tears and Promises are on my profile page. Please check them out as well and let me know which one you think is the most realistic. I just love trying to think of different interpretations of this missing moment, and what exactly went on between our lovebirds after Ron almost lost Hermione.

Please enjoy the story and let me know what you think!

Heartbeat

By: ChoCedric

Fear and adrenaline coursed through Ron as he, holding Hermione tightly in his arms, Apparated them away from the terror and torture of Malfoy Manor. He'd never felt such fear in his life; the girl he loved could die. God knows hwhat effect the Cruciatus Curse could have had on her, Ron thought desperately as he felt bile rise in his throat.

Once the crushing sensation of Apparition was gone, he saw, with relief, that they had arrived at Shell Cottage. "Bill! Fleur!" he shouted, fear still pulsing through him. "Help us, please! Please! Help!"

Soon, footsteps were pounding towards them, but for Ron, it hadn't been quick enough, so impatient was he to get Hermione help. As soon as Bill saw his brother's face and the limp form in his arms, he gasped in shock. "Ron, what's happened?" he asked, panicked. "Is Hermione ..."

"She might be soon, if we don't get her inside now," Ron said, still feeling extremely nauseated.

Bill reached to take Hermione from Ron's arms, but he held on tightly, having the thought that if he let her go, she would be gone for good. Bill seemed to understand, and let him carry her towards the house.

"Fleur's inside. I'll let her know what's going on," Bill said. "Where's Harry?"

"He's coming," said Ron in a monotone so as to hide the sudden rage boiling in his system. If it wasn't for Harry saying Voldemort's name, the girl he loved wouldn't be so close to death. Even through the fights they'd had in the past, never had he hated and resented Harry more than at this moment.

"Go to the room you slept in when you stayed over here before, and lay her on the bed," Bill said. "Fleur will be in to take care of her. I need to go check on Harry."

Always damn Harry, Ron thought angrily. Didn't Bill care that the most beautiful girl in the world might be dying in his brother's arms right now?

When Ron reached the room, he gently lay Hermione down on the bed and took a good look at her. She was breathing shallowly and had cuts and bruises all over her body. He felt useless, completely powerless. He'd been shut up in the cellar, only being able to hear her tortured screams but not being able to be the knight in shining armor and rescue her. He felt that his actions were unforgivable, and if she died, not only would he blame Harry, but he'd lay the blame on himself, too.

Fleur came into the room then, and exclaimed, "Ron! 'Ermione! My goodness! What ees wrong with her?"

"Just help her, please," Ron begged, sounding like a lost child.

Fleur immediately went to work, applying salves to Hermione's wounds and using Essence of Dittany on her neck where Bellatrix had used her despicable knife. She ran her wand over the girl, muttering healing spells under her breath.

When she was done, Ron asked in a panicky voice, "Will she be all right? Will she ..."

Fleur gave Ron a gentle smile in response. "She weel be fine," she reassured. "Just give 'er time, she'll wake up."

Ron's shoulders sagged in relief, but then he fiercely told himself that the panic wasn't over until Hermione had woken up. Nevertheless, he said a humble "Thank you," to Fleur as she exited the room.

For a few minutes, Ron sat silently and held Hermione's hand. She still looked terribly limp and lifeless. Ron had always had the irrational thought that Hermione was somehow immortal, that nothing could touch her. She'd always bounced back from any injuries before, and she was always the brave, strong girl who bossed him around and reminded him to do his schoolwork. A shaky grin appeared on Ron's face when he thought of the memories of her from years gone by.

Bill suddenly entered the room, looking very serious. "Ron, I know you're concerned about Hermione right now, but I need to know what's going on," he said firmly. "Harry's arrived, and the house-elf he brought with him is dead."

Ron blanched in shock. "Dead?" he whispered hoarsely. "Dobby? How?"

"Stabbed in the chest," said Bill, and Ron came to the conclusion that it must have been Bellatrix who had done the deed.

"Oh no," he said to his older brother. "That's awful. But you know I can't tell you what's going on."

"Ron," Bill hissed, looking angry now. "This isn't a game here. Hermione ..."

Ron's voice was furious as well as he answered, "I know this isn't a bloody game, Bill! Hermione could have died if Fleur hadn't healed her! Do you really want to know what happened to her? Okay, fine! She was tortured, okay? The Cruciatus Curse, multiple times!"

Bill's face went white. "So the Death Eaters know you're with Harry and Hermione now?" he said softly.

"Yeah," Ron replied. "They know."

"We need to get the family out of the Burrow and to Auntie Muriel's, then," said Bill in a businesslike tone. "I'll be off." And with that, he hurried quickly away.

Ron sighed, sitting on the bed. He suddenly felt the need to gather Hermione into his arms; he wanted to hold her, comfort her, and help her to wake up. He hadn't been able to rescue her, but maybe he could try to save her now.

He stroked her bushy hair tenderly as he settled her form in his arms, and many minutes passed this way. She was so beautiful, even though her skin was pale and she was covered in bandages. Ron's heart filled to the brim with love for her, and tears sprang to his eyes when he thought that he might never hear her speak again, and she might never know how he felt about her.

"'Mione," he said softly, feeling as though speaking to her might help. "Please wake up. Please be alright. I need you." He stroked the limp fingers on Hermione's hand. "I'm so sorry I couldn't do anything back there at the manor. I'm a horrible, horrible person." A solitary tear made its way down his cheek, and Ron wiped it away. But more followed, so many more that he couldn't keep up with them.

Suddenly, more words poured from his mouth, things that he'd never said to her before but wished to say now. In the back of his mind, he knew she probably couldn't hear him, but he knew he had to get it out in the open.

"'Mione, remember when you asked me whether I was afraid of dying?" Ron whispered, gently stroking Hermione's hair again. "And I told you I was? Well, I've realized now that I fear something much, much more: living without you." A sob ripped through him, a sob of desperation and pain and longing and heartache. "I'm in love with you," he whispered through his tears. "I'm in love with you, Hermione Granger, you are the most beautiful and wonderful girl I've ever known. I want to hit myself for being such a prat to you so many times. I didn't mean it when I said you were a nightmare and no wonder you had no friends. I didn't mean for all that bloody Yule Ball crap to happen. I was stupid when it came to Lavender, and a terrible person for leaving you and Harry on the Horcrux hunt. And now it might be too late to even tell you how I feel." He looked at her eyes, praying for them to flicker open, but still they did not.

"I'd never been more scared in my life than when I heard that bitch torturing you," Ron said, tears of fury racing down his cheeks. "You don't deserve that. You don't deserve to be called the m-word and ridiculed by those stupid pureblood bigots. Who cares about that, anyway, when you're the most loving, caring person in the world? You've forgiven me over and over again, and that, I didn't deserve." Succumbing to more sobs, he pulled Hermione tighter against him, rocking her back and forth in his arms. More terror gripped at him when she still didn't stir. "Please come back to me, 'Mione," he begged. "You are my whole world. I'll be right here, waiting for you to wake up. I'll never leave you again." Lowering his mouth down to hers, he gave her a gentle kiss. "I love you," he whispered.

The next moment was like something out of one of those Muggle fairy tales that his father had always read to him as a child. In that miraculous moment, he saw Hermione's eyes flicker open.

"'Mione?" he whispered, relief so huge flooding through him that he could hardly contain himself. "'Mione, can you hear me?"

Hermione blinked a couple of times, adjusting to the light in the room. Then, she looked straight into Ron's blue eyes, and said very, very softly, "I love you too."

Ron drew back, his entire face slackening in shock. His heart was pounding, and emotions hit him from all sides. "You heard me?" he croaked. "How much did you hear?"

"Pretty much everything," replied Hermione gently. "For a while, I thought I was dreaming that you were talking to me. But then I realized it was real."

Ron stared at her, unable to believe the words that had come out of her mouth. "You ... you ..."

"Yes, I love you too, you daft dolt," Hermione said, a slight smile gracing her face. "I've been waiting to hear that for years."

"You mean ..." Ron spluttered, gaping like a fish out of water.

"I've loved you for years," Hermione confessed, her cheeks flushing. "For years."

Ron held her closer, reveling in the scent of her, still unable to comprehend that his longings, his desires were looking as though they would become a reality. She tightened her arms around him, snuggling into him in contentment.

"I was so scared," Ron said, growing serious again and taking her hand in his. "I thought I was going to lose you."

"I know," Hermione said, tears entering her own eyes.

"Are you okay?" he asked gently, concerned. "Does anything hurt? Fleur healed you, but ..."

"It's a little sore," Hermione admitted, "but I'll be fine. Nothing to worry about."

"Are you sure?" Ron persisted. "You almost died."

"I'll be fine," she reassured him quietly, squeezing his hand in comfort.

"I'm really, really sorry," Ron said, feeling like a total loser. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you."

"Don't be sorry," Hermione said, giving him a soft smile. "As a matter of fact, you did. I heard you screaming for me, and that gave me hope that somehow we could get out of this."

"Really?" Ron asked, amazed that he'd actually been able to do something for her.

"Yes," Hermione confirmed. "Absolutely."

Ron was silent for a moment. Then he said, "Not everyone made it, 'Mione. Dobby's dead."

Tears filled Hermione's eyes, and Ron rubbed her back as they fell down her face. "H-how?" she stammered.

"Bellatrix," Ron spat in fury. "Stabbed him in the chest."

"Oh Merlin," she breathed. "Harry must be devastated." Something passed over Ron's face. Seeing this, she added, "Please don't be angry with him, Ron. It wasn't his fault."

"Yes, it was," said Ron stubbornly. "You wouldn't have almost died if he hadn't said ..."

"I know," Hermione sighed, "but it's a mistake I might have made too. Some habits are hard to break, you know? Harry's always said You-Know-Who's name."

Ron squeezed her hand again, and he knew from that point on that he should be a more forgiving person. It was hard, though, when he'd witnessed Hermione being tortured because of Harry's carelessness. But he vowed to himself that he would try not to hold a grudge against him, for her sake. If she was forgiving him, he should too.

Hermione smiled as Ron's face relaxed. "And speaking of Harry," she said softly, "I think we should keep this new ... erm ... relationship to ourselves for now. Harry's got so much to do, and we've still got to help him. And I don't want him feeling like a third wheel. But I promise, when all this is over ..."

Ron put a finger to her lips to stop her from talking. "That's fine," he reassured her. "I understand. For now we'll keep it between us."

"And I want you to stop feeling like an awful person," Hermione said, and Ron felt as though she was looking straight into his soul. "You were a prat, but what teenage boy isn't? I forgive you."

A huge smile broke out on Ron's face, and his and Hermione's lips met in a tender kiss. It was the most blissful, magical feeling he had ever felt in his life.

"See?" said Hermione when they broke apart. "I don't love Harry, I love you. You're the only one I want. So stop thinking about the locket, okay?"

"Okay," said Ron, flushing with embarrassment. He'd told Hermione about the locket Horcrux one night in the tent while Harry was on guard.

"And remember, Harry likes Ginny," Hermione teased, knowing that this would get a reaction.

"Don't remind me," Ron groaned. Hermione snorted with laughter. "It's not funny!" he protested. "When all this is over, if I catch them snogging ..."

"Oh, Ronald, what am I going to do with you?" Hermione teased. "Come here, you." And another kiss was shared between them.

Seconds after they broke apart, Fleur entered the room again. "'Ermione!" she exclaimed in delight. "Are you feeling better?"

"Yes, thank you, Fleur," Hermione beamed. "Thank you for taking care of me."

"You are most welcome," said Fleur kindly. "Ron, 'Arry is building a grave for ze elf. I zeenk 'e may need your 'elp."

"Ron, go," Hermione urged him, smiling. "I'll see you later, okay? Tell Harry I'm fine. Go and help him."

"Okay," Ron agreed. His heart ached to leave her, but he knew that the danger had passed now. As Fleur left the room, he whispered, "I love you," and embraced her one last time.

"I love you too," Hermione smiled, ruffling his hair. "I'll see you later."

And as Ron left the room, he could swear that he was the happiest man on Earth. For as he'd held the girl he loved more than life itself, he'd heard the most reassuring sound: the sound of her steady heartbeat. And that, more than anything, healed his soul.


End file.
